1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a serial recording apparatus for performing bidirectional recording upon reciprocal movement of a recording head.
2. Related Background Art
In a conventional serial recording apparatus, a recording head is reciprocated to perform high-speed bidirectional recording. In this serial recording apparatus, when a drive signal (i.e., drive pulses when a recording head is to be moved using a pulse motor) necessary for moving a recording head is applied, a delay time occurs until the recording head reaches a target position. Print errors occur during bidirectional recording due to various types of electrical and mechanical variations.
In order to correct positional errors in both directions in a conventional apparatus, as described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 61-27194, pulses and time are shifted using a DIP switch or jumper wire while an operator observes an actual print result, thereby adjusting such an error in each apparatus.
The above conventional recording apparatus poses the following problems.
(1) Extra circuit parts such as a DIP switch or jumper wire are required.
(2) Adjustment is time-consuming since it is performed while the operator observes the print result.
(3) When a load varies due to deteriorations over time, an initial adjustment value is changed, resulting in an unstable state.
On the other hand, in recent years, an ink-jet recording apparatus for causing a change in state (e.g., film boiling) of an ink by heat energy, for ejecting the ink to a recording medium by using bubbles generated by the change in state of the ink, and for recording a character or graphic image has been developed. The size of a heating resistor (heater) arranged in each ejection port is considerably smaller than that of a piezoelectric element used in a conventional ink-jet recording apparatus. For this reason, a high-density multiple arrangement of ejection ports can be obtained, a high-quality recording image can be obtained, and characteristics such as a high-speed operation and low noise can be obtained.
Of various types of ink-jet recording apparatuses, there is provided an apparatus using a recording head which has an ink tank and is detachable from a carriage. In this ink-jet recording apparatus, when bidirectional recording is performed to achieve recording at a higher speed, the following problems are posed.
Since the weight of the ink within the ink tank is changed (decreased) by use of the ink, a drive load of a carriage motor greatly varies. For this reason, the problem (3) becomes more conspicuous.